Goodloe h



IINITEU STATES ATF.

GOODLOE H. TAYLOR, OF SHELBURNE, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF, AND WM. SHERW'IN, OF SHICLBURNE FALLS, MASSACHUSETTS.

LAST.

Speccaton of Letters Patent No. 22,534, dated January 4, 1859.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GooDLon H. TAYLOR, of the town of Shelburne, in the county of Franklin and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in the Manner of Connecting the Instep-Block with the Under Block of a Last for BootsA and Shoes; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the construction and operation of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making a part of this specification, in which- Figure l represents a side view of the last. Fig. 2 represents a longitudinal vertical and central section through the same. Fig. 3 represents the top of the last with the instep block removed, and Fig. l represents the instep block detached, and turned over, to show the device for fastening it to the body of the last, on its under side.

` Similar letters of reference where they occur in the several figures denote like parts in all of them.

I am aware that several devices have been essayed for securing the instep block to a last, but they have all failed to go into use on account of the insecurity of the catch or fastening, they having really nothing but the spring itself to resist the tendency of the block to slip back, and on this account they are deemed of no practical importance in the trade.

The nature of my invention consists in so arranging the spring and bent lever or hook as that while the spring may act to throw the hook onto or under the plate on the last, yet it (the spring) shall not be the only resistance that there is to prevent the block from slipping back, but that the catch or lock shall be perfect without the spring, though its tendency is to hold the hook to the plate.

This invention relates, not so much to the devices themselves, as to the manner in which they are arranged to act and be effective, for substantially the same pieces or parts differently arranged from the manner in which I have shown them would not serve the purpose for which they are designed.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will proceed to describe the same with reference to the draw- IX, represents the body of the last, and B,

the instep block, made in any of the ordinary well known ways. There is al mortise o, cut out on the underside of the instep block B, that will receive, and allow, the arm a of a bent or crank lever C, to pla-y in. This bent or bell crank lever C, is pivoted at z', to a plate m, that is also let in to the instep block, so as to be flush with it. The arm a of the bell crank lever O, forms an acute angle with the other arm a, and said arm n is curved around at its end so as to form a hook or catch 0, and a plane passing through the pivot, or swinging point z', passes so nearly through the plane of t-he hook o, that any tendency of the instep block B, to slip back, comes upon the pivot z', and is thus prevented froininoving iuitil the hook is raised.

E, is a plate let in flush on top of the body of the last A., on the joint between it and the instep block. It projects slightly over a mortise e cutin the last and has a notch r (Fig. 3) cut in it, into which notch and under which plate the hooked end of the arm a drops and catches. The two parts of the catch or fastening are fastened by screws respectively to the block B, and last A.

c, is a coiled spring that bears upon the arm a, its object being to throw down said arm into the opening e, and insure its catching under the plate E after the` hook o, has

caught against the plate E, the spring eiects no active part in the holding of the two pieces together, as the lock is perfect without it, and this constitutes one of the material points of difference between this fastening and any and all others for a similar purpose, because in the others the spring is relied on for holding the male to the female fastening, and in practice it is found not to answer that purpose.

D, is a hole made horizontally through the instep block, for the insertion of the hook with which it is drawn from the boot or shoe, and the arm a of the hook O, stands in or across said opening, so that by drawing upon the hook when it is inserted in the hole D, it first draws back the arm a which raises the hook o, out from under the plate E, and unlocks the two pieces, and by continuing to draw upon the hook it pulls out the instep block. Other means of unlocking the hook may be essayed, but this does not constitute my invention, which mainly relies upon so arranging the hook or lever O, as

that it shall not rely upon the spring to hold it in place, but shall constitute a perfect fastening Within itself, which is effected in part by its peculiar shape and the location of its pivot in or near the line of the strain that tends to throw it out.

f, is a projection on the point of the instep block, and g, a recess in the shoulder of the last, into which it slips to hold said point t0 the last.

Having thus fully described the nature and object of iny fastening, and shown wherein it differs from all other things for a similar purpose, what I claim therein as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent 15 So pivoting the hook or lever C, as that f the strain shall come upon said pivot, and

not upon the spring, by which means I effect a better and more certain fastening as set 20 forth, and explained.

vGrOODLOE H. TAYLOR. i

Vitnesses:

THo. FINLEY, R. BURRELL. 

